Weeds on patios, driveways and in between bricks are difficult to get rid of and using natural weed killer methods may not be as effective as you think so try this instead
Pulling up weeds from patios or driveways only for them to spring back after a few weeks can be frustrating – but this could be due to a common gardening blunder.
Melissa J Will, also known as the Empress of Dirt, is an organic gardening guru who prides herself on sharing advice based on “science-based facts instead of folklore.
She explained that many natural weed killers such as vinegar, salt and baking soda may be commonly suggested online but they only kill the leaves of weeds. They do not harm the plant’s roots which is why pesky weeds always seem to grow back.
Melissa stated: “These get shared like candy and, as you’ll see, either do not actually work and/or are harmful to the environment and waste money. A weed is not really gone unless the roots have been entirely removed.”
Why many natural solutions don’t work
Vinegar alone is not effective in killing weeds as while the stuff you put on your chips is acidic, it is not strong enough to target the roots while stronger variations are extremely toxic.
Melissa explained: “The industrial strength is a horrifically dangerous acid and completely inappropriate for any home applications. Sorry vinegar, you’re not for the garden.”
Salt is highly effective at killing weeds, but it will kill all greenery it comes across and affect the soil surrounding your stonework, There is a risk of the salt landing on the soil once it rains and destroying nearby plants, flowerbeds or lawns, reports the Express.
Melissa advised: “Stop what you’re doing and go delete everything you have repinned on Pinterest that suggests using salt in the garden!
“We’ve already established that vinegar will not kill the roots of plants, unless it’s industrial strength, which is totally inappropriate for home applications, and baking soda-which adds excess sodium-is not going to change this.”
Although combining these ingredients can sometimes serve as a natural weed killer, they come with the risk of harming the rest of the garden and aren’t always successful at completely eradicating weeds.
Properly dispose of weeds using a friendly method
The most effective way to banish weeds is by steaming them with a steamer, killing both the weeds and their roots through high temperatures.
Melissa stated: “Steaming is the easiest and longest lasting. If you have weeds growing in your brick patio or driveway, a home steam cleaning machine offers an easy way to kill them at the roots without harmful chemicals.”
This method is especially suited for small areas like sidewalks, driveways, patios, and masonry, garnering favor among farmers and those who prefer organic solutions.
To get started, all you need is a steamer, gloves, and possibly a knife for more stubborn spots. For best results, tackle the weeding post-rain when the soil is moist and loose, easing the removal of roots.
Melissa shared her eco-friendly weeding wisdom, saying: “There are no shortcuts for weeding between bricks or pavers without causing collateral damage to the eco-system.”
She also advised on the best approach to tackle those pesky weeds: “To remove the weeds by hand, be sure the soil is damp, use the right tools, get comfortable knee pads and good tunes to listen to, be patient so you get the roots out, take breaks to place curses on the inventor of the brick driveway.”
For a long-term solution, Melissa suggests using polymeric jointing sand, easily found on Amazon, to fill in gaps between stones or bricks, which helps prevent future weed growth.